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Who We Are » Head of School Search

Head of School Search

Search Committee Members

Clara Drummond, Trustee and school parent, Co-Clerk of the Search committee
Margy Frysinger, Trustee and alumni parent, Co-Clerk of the Search Committee
Rebecca Hsiung, Lead Teacher, Pre-K at SCFS
Jody Love, Business Manager at SCFS
Paul Perkinson, Trustee, Head of The Hudson School
Cynthia Potter, Trustee, former teacher at SCFS
 
The Search Committee manages the search process from start to finish: we solicit input from the SCFS community throughout the process; craft the Position Description and job ad and post them widely; assess candidates according to a rubric reflecting required and preferred qualifications and experiences; conduct interviews with semi finalists and finalists; organize on-campus visits; conduct reference calls; and present a report and recommendation to the Board of Trustees.

Throughout the search process, Search Committee members commit themselves to acting with integrity and in an ethical and professional manner. We strive to keep the SCFS community informed and engaged, while ensuring confidentiality of the search committee’s deliberations, both during the search process and after its completion. 
 
 At any point in the process, please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or considerations. The Search Committee can be reached at [email protected].

Search Process and Timeline

May/June 2024: Inclusive discovery process that engages the SCFS community on what experiences, skills, and qualities are the highest priority for the next Head of school *COMPLETED
 
June 2024: Creation and posting of a position description that provides a school overview, history, current and future needs as well as a job ad that reflects prioritized experiences, skills, and qualities of the next head of school *COMPLETED
 
Late August-September 2024: Candidate review and first round phone/zoom interviews with search committee
 
Mid-October-November 2024: Finalist announcement and on-campus interviews and visits, with opportunities for school community members to meet the candidates
 
Mid November-early December 2024: Search committee gathers feedback from faculty, staff, families, and students, and conducts reference calls; the committee writes a report on candidates with recommendations and presents it to the Board of Trustees
 
January 2025: Announcement of appointment of Head of School by Board of Trustees
 
Spring 2025: Leadership transition, with Head of School formally beginning on July 1, 2025
 

Communications

Dear Friends,

As you know, Annie Boggess is serving as Interim Head of School for two years. At this time, the Board of Trustees has established a Search Committee to begin the process to find a permanent Head of School. We are happy to announce the members of the committee and begin to move forward together.

Clara Drummond, Trustee and school parent, and Margy Frysinger, Trustee and Assistant Clerk, will serve as Co-clerks for the Search Committee. The other committee members are Rebecca Hsiung, current faculty; Jody Love, Business Manager at SCFS; Paul Perkinson, Trustee and current Head of The Hudson School; and Cynthia Potter, Trustee and former teacher at the school.

Input from all stakeholders is incredibly important to the process of selecting a new Head of School. There will be multiple opportunities for faculty and administrative staff to provide input. The Search Committee may send out surveys or offer other mechanisms to provide input during the process. Faculty and staff will also be invited to meet with finalist candidates once those are determined.

Please be on the lookout for these opportunities to offer input. The Board sees this as an opportunity for the Friends School community to come together and talk in an open way about the next steps for school leadership. At any point in the process, please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or considerations. The Search Committee can be reached at [email protected].

Yours in service,
Clara Drummond and Margy Frysinger
Search Committee Co-clerks
 
 
Dear friends,
 
Today I am writing to share that I have decided not to become a candidate for the permanent Head of School position at SCFS. As I hope has been evident in our work together, my love for Friends School runs deep. I first joined this community as a sixth-grade student. Throughout my middle school years, I found teachers who understood and supported me, peers who became life-long friends, and a school-wide affirmation of my and my classmates’ inherent worth and agency to affect positive change in the world. When I became a Quaker educator years later, I drew on my experience at Friends School to inform my approach to curriculum and pedagogy. Serving as an administrator at SCFS over the past four years has been one of the most meaningful and values-aligned experiences of my professional life. These truths have made this a challenging decision, but Eduardo and I have discerned that, at the conclusion of the coming school year, we will be ready to seek our next adventure. 
 
As Interim Head of School, it has been a pleasure to collaborate with faculty, staff, and trustees to establish new structures that draw on expertise from the broader world of Quaker education, and with families in supporting our students' growth and building Friends School's connections with the wider State College community. Together, we will continue to focus on building and maintaining a thriving, inclusive learning community where students are at the center of every decision and families are connected to the core of our work and play. I am confident that, in collaboration with you, we will set the school up for a successful leadership transition and a bright future.
 
Thank you for all you do to support State College Friends School!
 
In peace,
Annie
Dear Friends School Community,

As you see from Annie’s letter, she has made the difficult decision not to apply for the permanent Head of School position. The Board of Trustees supports this decision by Annie and her husband, Eduardo, as they move forward in their lives. She will continue to serve as Interim Head of School for the 2024-25 academic year. 

Annie stepped up to serve the school when it was most needed. She has shown remarkable leadership, flexibility, and growth throughout her first year, supporting teachers, students, and the entire school community in a myriad of ways. We know that her energy and care will continue through this next year. Her focus will still be on making State College Friends School a learning environment that teachers and students love to come to each school day. The Board of Trustees is extremely grateful to Annie for all she has done and will accomplish in the next year. For example, in the past year she has overseen a new faculty evaluation process, designed and launched a process for curriculum documentation, and established a school-wide hiring process.  

The Search Committee for the next permanent Head of School continues to receive applications. The application deadline has been extended to September 1st and the top candidates will be interviewed online in September. The entire community will be involved when the final candidates visit the school in October and early November. We are delighted that Annie has agreed to support the recruitment of a new Head of School and share her wealth of knowledge and insights with candidates. 

The Board of Trustees thanks the school community for your continued engagement with the Head of School search process. We give deep thanks for all Annie’s gifts to the school, and we are confident in the school’s bright future as we move forward together.

Sincerely,
Margy Frysinger
Clerk of Board of Trustees